7 Steps to More Effective Facebook Fan Pages. 5 Tips to Develop a Twitter Following. 11 Sure-Fire Ways LinkedIn Generates Business Leads. 8 Rules for Building Brands with Blogs. Do these type of headlines sound familiar? Do they get your attention? I confess to sometimes writing them myself.

Unfortunately, we often pay more attention to tactics than our voice. Too bad because your voice in social media is your brand equity.

Social media marketing is different from advertising, sales promotion or direct marketing. It’s a conversation, not a monologue. It won’t work if your constituents don’t believe you always have their best interests at heart. Just try to tell someone to “Buy This Now” and see what happens.

So it’s not what you need to make someone do. It’s how you have to be. Here are 16 Be’s for finding a social voice that works for your brand.

Be helpful

Be willing to ask for help

Be informative

Be of value in teaching someone something new

Be willing to share

Be able to ask others to share in return

Be positive

Be forthcoming

Be inspirational

Be a good listener

Be able to carry on a good conversation

Be honest with your audience

Be able to express a point of view convincingly

Be able to respect those who do and don’t accept what you have to say

Be willing to give before you have to get

Be yourself

The list is as long or as short as the authentic qualities you have when you relate to others.

So the next time you see someone or some business brag, boast, bring nothing to the party other than an endless stream of press releases and company news either in a blog, tweet, comment or through a bit.ly link, feel free to remind them of this advice.

Do you have any “Be’s” of your own? Send them my way. I’d like to hear so we can keep a running list together.